Digital Maturity in Theory and Practice: A Case Study of a Swedish Smart-Built Environment Firm

Digital maturity in organizations has become a popular subject for research the last decade. However, while digital maturity models are common in literature, studies of how they compare against practice are sparser. Against this backdrop, the purpose with this study is to study how digital maturity is translated into practice. To study this, factors on digital maturity is extracted from the literature, and then analyzed through a case study in a Swedish smart-built environment firm. The results revolve around four factors associated with digital maturity: strategy, technology, culture and leadership. The findings of the study reveal a contrast between vague statements about high digital maturity, and the daily practice in the studied firm. Digital maturity in the firm becomes "business as usual", translated as standardized technologies, and methods for project management. Hence, in line with prior research, this study suggests that stage models for digital maturity may be equally vague in practice as they are in theory. Further research could remedy this situation by conducting empirical studies of how (and if) the stages of maturity models are linked together.